NBA Exec: Lakers' Austin Reaves Appeals to 'Literally Every Team' as Free Agent

The Los Angeles Lakers could face a bidding war to retain the services of Austin Reaves, who's due to be a restricted free agent.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin spoke to an executive in the Western Conference who said Reaves will be an enticing target for "literally every team in the league."

The 24-year-old signaled his desire to remain in L.A. for the long haul.

"I would love to be here my whole career," he said. "Just the way that the fans treat me, the love they have for me, as an undrafted player, it's kind of like they raised me type of vibe. ... It feels like it's meant to be. It feels like this all happened for a reason and this is where I should be."

General manager Rob Pelinka told McMenamin there's a "mutual desire" in that regard.

The parallels to Alex Caruso are obvious.

Like Reaves, Caruso emerged as an important role player for the Lakers over his four-year tenure as he headed into free agency. While he didn't command a massive sum — the Chicago Bulls ultimately signed him for $37 million over four years — Los Angeles decided the overall cost between his salary and accompanying luxury tax payments weren't worth it.

It's a decision Pelinka would probably like to have back.

There's no denying Reaves' value on the court. He averaged 13.0 points and shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc, and his scoring is up slightly (17.6 points per game) in the playoffs.

Because of that, it's difficult to envision the Lakers letting him go when building around LeBron James and Anthony Davis is easier said than done. But that probably won't stop opposing teams from trying.